Taiwan Taipei Mission

Taiwan Taipei Mission

Monday, December 29, 2014

Working Hard

Family and Friends,

This week has been great! I absolutely loved
being able to do a three-way call on Christmas with my family in Idaho
and Bryan in the Philippines. It was so good to see all of you and be
able to talk to you!! I'm glad everything is going well!

Family,
It's crazy that you got so much snow that Church was cancelled?!? That
has never happened before! Dad, it's nice of you for going and plowing
everyone's driveways! I'm sure that took forever! Marissa, I am sorry
you got the flu..that must be awful! Hopefully you will be cleared up
soon!

Here is the rest of the week after Skyping on Christmas...

As
you know, I was Skyping during our dinner and when I was finished, I
walked out and Elise Wilding (from Idaho Falls) was there!! She just got
married this past year to Tyler Atkinson and we were at his parents
home for Christmas dinner! She graduated a year before me from high
school and is currently at BYU-Idaho. It was so good to see a familiar
face from home! She told me that Will Whitman and Reagan Murdoch are
engaged and also that Jessica Hansen and Tyson Dennert got engaged a
couple days ago! That is crazy!! Tell them congrats from me! As I
mentioned on Skype, there was also a possible investigator that came to
dinner at the Atkinson's! His name is John and he has 2 children-a boy
and a girl. He was very talkative and we got to know him very well! We
read parts of the Christmas story from 3 Nephi 1 and gave him and his
children a Book of Mormon. They told us that they would read it. We are
hoping to get another opportunity to teach him soon. He seemed pretty
interested and Bishop Atkinson was very helpful in explaining to him how
much the gospel can bless him and his children. I love referrals like
these because families know best when their friends are ready to receive
the gospel.

There is a family in our ward
from England. They have lived in Colorado for the last 3 years. Friday
night, we were able to have dinner at their home. Bro. Reynold just got
back from a business trip to Shanghai, China! I told him that I used to
live there and we talked a lot about the culture there and about the
different places to go a visit.

Saturday we
had a first lesson with a new investigator! Sis. Cook and her previous
companion contacted her on the street one day when she was taking out
her trash. Her name is Melissa and she is the sweetest lady I have ever
met! She is very open and has a lot to talk about! She has three
children-Brenna (14), Jeffrey (12), and Benjamin (10). Her husband and
her moved their family out to Colorado about 3 years ago. She is a
Sunday School teacher for her church and her husband, Randy is Jewish.
The lesson we had was just with her and a little bit with her son,
Jeffrey. He has a case of autism and his extremely intelligent and has
so much to say. Our lesson went a little long because he had so many
different stories about school and friends that he wanted to tell us.
Melissa said that is was weird that he was telling us his stories
because he is normally extremely quiet around strangers. It was really
neat. Our lesson went fantastic. We taught the first lesson, The
Restoration. The Spirit was definitely there. All the hard hours where
we got rejected at doors all were worth it for this one lesson with
Melissa. The coolest part is that when we asked her how she would feel
if she knew that there was a living prophet on the earth today and she
said, "Well, that would make sense!" We went on to explain that there is
a living prophet at 12 apostles to lead and guide Christ's church! When
we also taught about Joseph Smith and the First Vision, she said she
had this very peaceful feeling. We gave her a Book of Mormon and she
seemed very excited to read it. She is started her own company and she
is opening/starting distributing on January 17th so unfortunately, she
can't meet with the missionaries again until January 24, 2015. I hope
she starts to read the Book of Mormon and feel of the Spirit as she
reads from its' pages.

The work here in
Colorado is pretty difficult. There hasn't been a baptism in the area I
am serving in in over a year. Most people are very against the church
here or already have their own faith. Knocking doors is probably one of
the scariest things I have ever done...but...I'm slowly getting used to
it. But, I love what I am doing. I definitely is not easy. But I am
learning and growing so much. The members here are fabulous and they
take such good care of us. We got several presents for Christmas from
many members--which was a huge surprise. Bro. Jenson (the one that
talked to dad) has taken me under his wing and has really made sure I am
doing great and praying that I receive my visa soon.

This
week in personal study, I have read in Alma about all the missionary
experiences that the sons of Mosiah had. Sometimes missionary work is
extremely challenging and you feel as if you are not making a difference
but I love in Alma 26:27 where it says, "Now when our hearts were
depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted
us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience
thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." No matter where
we are in life, the Lord is there to comfort us and give us peace. I
love how the Lord promises Ammon and his brethren success if they listen
to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I feel like this can be applied
much to all of our lives. Listen to the promptings you receive and let
the power of the Holy Ghost lead and guide you to do all things!

I
have loved this past week! I have loved being able to experience the
first part of my mission in Colorado Springs. It's kind of funny because
many ask me why my name tag is not in English..I tell them and most of
them say, "Oh, I'm so sorry that you have to wait in Colorado." I always
tell my companions I don't understand why they say this because I know
this is where the Lord needs me to be right now. I have already learned
so much and I have met some life long friends!

Thank you so
much for all the emails and keeping me updated on the events occurring
in your lives! It means so much to me!! I love and miss you all SO
much!! Have a great week and stay warm!!

Love,

Sister Haacke

P.S.
Remember that couple that I told you about on Skype that has served 5
missions as a couple? Two in Taiwan, one in the Cauayan, Philippines
mission, and now in Colorado Springs? If you look at the picture of the
zone, they are the ones on the far left right in front of Elder
Diepeveen (from my district in the MTC).

My Mission President and his wife, President and Sister Rehm, are the ones in the middle on the chairs.